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Comments (31)

A Curious Beginning

a Veronica Speedwell Mystery
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 31 items
Jan 22, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The two main characters were captivating and intriguing, their adventures engaging. Maybe not historically accurate but a good read, one that kept my interest.
Aug 13, 2023FunnyPenny1 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Utterly ridiculous. This American writer seems to have very little knowledge of Victorian England. The main female character is a pedantic stereotype. The male protagonist is a rough hewn yet high born boor. Everything in this book has…
Jul 28, 2023Dreamstime rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Slow indeed but the reader is rewarded with a surprising conclusion.
Dec 21, 2022jovi3jean9 rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Painfully slow and filled with inconsequential minutia.
Sep 24, 2022
Entertaining, but the characters seem to be cloned from Ellizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody and her husband in novels about Egyptian archaeology. If you like Amelia Peabody, this book is for you. If you don't . . . well, never mind.
Apr 21, 2022EljayJohnson rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
An independent, fiery, brilliant heroine meets her match in the soulful, tormented, brilliant hero. I feel like I should have loved this mystery but it never grabbed me and was ultimately perfectly forgettable. There's nothing "wrong"…
Aug 21, 2021marlainealy rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed completely--loved the interplay of the heroine and "sidekick". Just a fun read, make a great tv series.
Apr 03, 2021
Absolutely adore this entire series! Start with this first title so you can watch Veronica and Stoker's partnership develop from the beginning. Veronica's witty observations are too much fun and when combined with her unconventional…
Jan 26, 2021LPL_AdamL rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The first in a series featuring a whip-smart butterfly-hunting Victorian protagonist and a grumpy natural historian who reluctantly becomes her partner as the duo begin solving mysteries. I'm predisposed to adore any character who's…
Dec 31, 2020
A fun and light mystery. A strong, determined lead character when women were nonesuch in that time. I am happy to read book two. I loved the ending. What fun to read some more!
Jun 28, 2020
first in a series of four
Apr 09, 2020CORI D MORRIS rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book series is hilarious, witty and amusing. It does play on a lot of stereotypes and is rather on the nose at times but if you can overlook that, the characters will win you over with their unusual nose for detecting mysteries, and…
Jan 07, 2020lovemybranch rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Quite a mixed review: pretty decent prose style but the plot became rather ridiculous and the characters were melodramatic stereotypes. My biggest complaint is that the author uses the wretched gimmick of "woman and man hate each other…
Jul 09, 2019ApollosRaven rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Fans of Elizabeth Peter's mystery series featuring the strong-will Amelia Peabody will find a kindred spirit to Peabody in Raybourn's adventuress Veronica Speedwell. Provides witty dialog and fast-paced adventure.
Mar 25, 2019
I was hoping to like this-sorry could not even finish the first book.
Feb 21, 2019ReadingAdviser_leni rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Very enjoyable. I really liked the strong female characters and how they handled everything they had thrown at them.
Mar 23, 2018ArapahoeJessica rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
What an unexpected absolutely delightful read! I don't much go for lady detectives or historical romance, but this was a wonderful mix of mystery and adventure and girl power. Veronica Speedwell is an audacious, clever, extremely capable…
Aug 24, 2017
A curious beginning indeed lives up to the title. I was genuinely curious as I read it and I really couldn't put it down on many occasions. Veronica is a fantastic character, love her strength and intelligence and unending wit. Stoker too.…
Feb 16, 2017SilverIlix rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed the protagonists and the story. Veronica is fun, spirited and honest. Her "partner " Stoker is interesting as well, but what I enjoyed was the building of the rapport between these two. There is romantic tension, but I felt it…
Nov 22, 2016bkilfoy rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Raybourn's deft hand with writing historical fiction set in the Victorian era is once more in evidence in this first book of the Veronica Speedwell series. The book is thoroughly enjoyable even as she establishes the core characters of…
Nov 16, 2016
The first book in the Veronica Speedwell Mystery series
Jun 11, 2016erinreadsandknits rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a wonderful Victorian Era historical mystery. I love Veronica and Stoker and hope they have many more adventures ahead of them!
Jun 11, 2016eecrites rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
In A Curious Beginning we are introduced to Veronica Speedwell. Veronica is a fantastic female protagonist. She is strong, self-confident and intelligent and she doesn’t conform to societal expectations. A lepidopterist and natural…
May 12, 2016slang123 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
As a big fan of Deanna Raybourn's "The Lady Julia Grey" series, I eagerly picked up "A Curious Beginning". I was not disappointed. Veronica Speedwell is even more intrepid that Lady Julia. A remarkable character. Interweaving believable…
May 06, 2016jazpur rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I'm ambivalent about Veronica Speedwell. Got her 'mysterious' parentage' in one. No surprises there at all and she doesn't come close to Lady Julia or compare with the African novels. She may improve on further acquaintance but I'm…